\u200b\u200bBoth the Department for Education (DfE) and Office for Students (OfS) were made aware of the decision to defer the planned speech by the Israeli Ambassador. The DfE\u2019s Further Education/Higher Education coordinator has been in contact with the institution.<\/p>
\u200bFreedom of speech is a crucial element of higher education and government and OfS are committed to championing it and to promoting open debate and challenge. Universities are autonomous bodies and are responsible for taking their own decisions around how to manage events and mitigate risks; handling of individual cases is not dictated by government or by the OfS. The OfS has powers to intervene if providers are not following their own free speech codes of practice<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4169", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Viscount Younger of Leckie"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-12-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-12-20T17:35:40.957Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-12-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "City, University of London: Freedom of Expression"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with City, University of London about the cancellation of a planned speech by the Israeli Ambassador on 21 November; and whether they have received any representations from the Office for Students about freedom of speech at that University.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3756", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Deech"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Deech"} ], "uin" : "HL12225"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1024227", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1024227/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The previous Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation held a free speech summit in May, where sector leaders agreed to collectively develop a single piece of guidance. The government has worked alongside sector leaders to set out key principles for universities and student unions managing free speech. The Equalities and Human Rights Commission will be publishing guidance in 2019 on how to ensure that freedom of speech within the law is upheld effectively in higher education institutions, whilst acknowledging their other legal duties.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4169", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Viscount Younger of Leckie"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-12-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-12-20T17:42:48.99Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-12-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Academic Freedom"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will issue guidance to universities on the misuse of data protection law and non-cooperation with security requirements in relation to upholding free speech.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3756", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Deech"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Deech"} ], "uin" : "HL12226"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1024228", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1024228/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The government is deeply committed to protecting freedom of speech within the law. The freedom to express views openly, challenge ideas and engage in robust debate is crucial to the student experience and to democracy. Individuals should never be in a position where they can be stopped from expressing an opinion perfectly lawfully. Institutions are required to balance risks and legal obligations with a view to ensuring freedom of speech wherever reasonably practicable.<\/p>
The Joint Committee on Human Rights held an inquiry into freedom of speech in universities earlier this year, which looked in detail and collected evidence in relation to upholding freedom of speech in universities.\u202fDrawing on information from the inquiry, which found the current regulatory landscape protecting freedom of speech to be extremely complex, the Equality and Human Rights Commission and key partners in the higher education sector have worked with the Department of Education to develop a single piece of guidance, which will set out key principles.\u202fThis guidance will enable universities and student unions to understand their obligations for protecting and supporting free speech.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4169", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Viscount Younger of Leckie"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-12-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-12-20T17:51:48.113Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-12-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Academic Freedom"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of section 43 of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986 in upholding lawful freedom of speech on university campuses following the cancellation of a planned speech by the Israeli Ambassador at City, University of London on 21 November.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3756", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Deech"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Deech"} ], "uin" : "HL12227"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 3, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }